Getting some vertical – Snowcat Skiing on Mt Bailey. I’m leave on an epic trip, Cat Skiing on Mt. Bailey – 1 cat, 10 of us and 6,000 acres of mountain. But along with all the excitement in the back of my mind I keep thinking about the tragic event of this past weekend at Stevens Pass. I also think about my gear – what I have, what I want, and what I need.

Salt Lake City in the middle of January was a mild, no jacket trip topped off with a cancelation of a Snowboard weekend to Park City due to the lack of snow (20 inched of snow).

National Parks Open Their Gates This Weekend. No Fee Weekend.

Oh what to do, what to do this wintery weekend–that hasn’t produced much snow for most of the country? Well during this long weekend, which also commemoration the birth, life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., take some time and get out. This weekend National Parks throughout the country are offering free admission – January 14-16.

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Summary

REVIEW: Mountainsmith’s Modular Hauler System

So you love camping but it always seems like packing and unpacking takes more time then the actual camping part of the trip. Well it doesn’t have to, especially with Mountainsmith’s Modular Hauler Systems. I took the Modular Hauler 2 for a test. I figured if the smallest system were useful the larger systems would work as well.

Over the river and through the woods, to holiday eating we shall go.

Reduce the guilt. Find a Turkey Trout or Holiday Run in your area.

The holidays are upon us and next week at this time smells will be wafting from kitchens everywhere. And even though this time of year is all about F-O-O-D, many individuals turn to something they usually aren’t inclined to do the other 364 days of the year—R-U-N (jog or walk).

Plastic's Inspiration of Beauty. One Beach the film.

Plastic—plastic isn't bad. It's what we decide to do with plastic once we're done using it that determines it's fate. Let's reduce single-use plastic.

I consider myself eco-conscious. I recycle, compost, use cloth grocery bags, grow some of my own vegetables, buy local but at times I take the easy way out. This short film, One Beach, presented by Barefoot Wine profiles six individuals using their unique talents to effect the global beach trash problem.

We watched this live last week but were truly in awe once we had a chance to see the time lapse video of the entire process. The initial water flow after the explosion is impressive but just as impressive is the sediment flow on the back side of the dam.

Milli by Sherpani. Not the typical mom’s bag—in a good way. A versatile women’s bag that can take you to the grocery store, a hiking, or out for a bite. The Milli by Sherpani. I needed to get a new bag recently and didn’t know what to do. I’ve had a bag that I’ve adored for years but it’d seen better days and unfortunately the manufacturer had made some changes that I didn’t like so I was in search for something that could keep up with me and the many hats I wear. I needed something that was big enough to hold a decent number of items – wallet, keys, pens, small note pad, phone, pocket digital camera, and maybe even a water bottle and a cliff bar or two. Of course I also worry about getting something too large, a bag that you can never get to the bottom. When I was looking for the consideration pool of bags Sherpani’s Milli was one of the first bags that I looked at, because of it’s size and because it had enough style to make it interesting.

They say a classic never dies and at Sierra Designs, they are very proud of their classic lines and heritage and wanted to show tribute by creating a line that gives homage to our beginnings. Sierra Designs started by re-creating the classic 60/40 line, now called the Vintage Heritage Collection. "We are proud that we can state that this whole line of high quality jackets and vest were made in the United States"

Portland Fashion Week—sustainable fashion you can feel good about. So we all know there aren’t any small decisions. All of those decisions we make throughout our day, they affect the world around us. So start making a difference—in your closet.

So you've heard of Foster the People (or at least their song "Pumped Up Kicks"), but did you know they've joined up with the Do Good Bus during their tour this fall. During Foster the People's 26 city North American tour the Do Good Bus is traveling along, stopping in each city and filling their Do Good Bus with local do-gooders to give back to community organizations.

A little inspiration for any of those participating in, or going to Pacific City to watch, the 13th Annual Cape Kiwanda Longboard Classic this weekend. A pig roast kicks off the festivities tonight and the contest will take place Saturday, Sept 24 and Sunday Sept 25 - see the official schedule. Due to the unpredictable weather on the Oregon coast check the website, call or check the weather report. The waves on Sunday are looking X-LARGE.

Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier National Park, which provides access to Logan Pass from the west is set to close for the season this Sunday, September 18th. Record amounts of snow, and early closure for repairs, makes this one of the shortest season on record.

It’s that time of year, when our thoughts turn to wool sweaters, crisp apples and the changing fall foliage. During this time of year there are a few places that are amazing to just get out and explore, and Leavenworth Washington is one of them.

The “er” months are upon us but there’s no need to fret. You can still find some summer adventures if you head towards the ocean. If you are looking for a great out of the way location on the Oregon coast check out Pacific City. It’s a quaint little seaside destination without all the glitz you’ll find at other stops along the coast. But if you are looking for man-made entertainment you might want to go somewhere else. Pacific City is all about slowing down, enjoying the beautiful surroundings and taking in the activities that the ocean and nearby sand dunes provide.

Top 100 Outdoor Adventures A few weeks ago, yourLUME set out do build a list of the Top 100 Outdoor Adventures. And over the past few weeks we have been getting a lot of suggestions from our customers wanting to share with yourLUME their Favorite Outdoor Adventure. Now that the list is done, we are excited to share the first 100 with you. These Adventures are in no random order, just their Top 100 Adventures. Enjoy the thrills – The yourLUME Team

Some people just don't understand the need to travel. And it's just that, a N-E-E-D. It's not a desire but an actual need to travel, explore and experience more then what you can find around you.

If you live or have travel plans to visit the Northwest, Mt. Saint Helens is a stop that shouldn't be missed for hiking, backpacking and just exploring how an ecosystem revitalizes itself.

The Group at Mountainsmith have been hard at work design and creating some of the best outdoor lumbar pack for both Men and Women while out on that hike. We came across this post and wanted to share our excitement with you as we cant wait to get our hands on some of the new gear coming from Mountainsmith.

This month, YourLUME announced their Summer Stories Program. In an effort to create the largest accumulation of outdoor, travel and adventure stories, YourLUME is offering writers, photographers, journalists, travelers and adventure seekers of all types the opportunity to share their stories with a community of avid adventurers.

The necessary steps to take if your BFF (your Dog) got bit by an insect while doing what they do best, playing outside or tagging along with you on the trail.

Nice write up on the Sierra Designs Lightning HT2 by Berne Broudy of Backpacker Magazine

New outdoor Tents and Sleeping Bags coming from our friends at Mountainsmith for 2012 Mountainsmith has taken their tent and sleeping bag line one step further for 2012. The roomy new Conifer 5+ five-person tent and the spacious, oversized Boreas 40° synthetic sleeping bag are both designed for family car camping, fishing/hunting camps, sleeping in the back of an SUV or any other place where weight is not an issue. The whole line of bags and tents excel in their performance with specifications and features unexpected in their price category. Whether for extended backpacking or family camping, Mountainsmith has the products to provide both carrying and sleeping comfort to any outdoor adventure. The popular and award-winning returning line-up consists of the two-person Morrison 2 and the four-person Genessee 4 tents. Three down sleeping bags include the El Diente 5°, Sunlight 20° and Windom 35°. The Monarch 0°, Kenosha 20°, and Poncha 35°, synthetic sleeping bag models complete the circle.

Check out the video submitted by Capital Hill Elementary School, in Portland, Oregon that won them a $15,000 grant to improve their playground. Click on the photo to read more.

So for the third year in a row we made our way to Cape Lookout State Park for a Father’s Day camping trip. It’s a wonderful tradition. We usually pack up our gear, ourselves, our dog and the surf gear for a relaxing weekend at the beach. (Click on the photo to read more about our trip.)

YourLUME.com is excited to announce the Kelty Salida 2 tent has been named a 2011 recipient of Backpacker magazine’s prestigious Editors’ Choice Award in recognition of the tent’s ability to deliver outstanding performance at an affordable price. With a simple, two-pole dome design, the $159 Salida 2 is a single door, single vestibule shelter offering a spacious interior for comfortable overnights on the trail or at the local campground. A full-coverage fly adds weather protection while mesh wall panels keep the tent well ventilated. “When it comes to outdoor gear, the editors at Backpacker Magazine are some of the most knowledgeable and experienced in the industry. We are ecstatic and honored to receive this recognition,” said Sue Timbo, marketing director with Kelty. “Winning this award showcases Kelty’s continued commitment to high quality, affordable outdoor gear.”

With yourLUME’s continued commitment and push to provide our customers with the best outdoor gear and outdoor lifestyle products available, we are proud to add Sherpani to our selective group of outdoor lifestyle brands.

And it’s T-minus 6 days and counting. But you have to admit a Father’s Day gift is much easier to figure out than a Mother’s Day gift. I mean really, you can easily pass off the UGLIEST of ties to Dad.

If you feel like getting outside and going for a ride, this video will either satisfy your singletrack craving or make you want to get out that much more. We hope it does the former, but either way, you should give it a glance. This four-and-a-half-minute video was shot via a GoPro camera on the Porcupine Rim Trail in Moab, Utah. From the filmmakers on Vimeo: We took a late spring trip down to Moab. Since none of us had ridden the infamous Porcupine Rim, and this was Benny’s first mountain bike ride ever, we decided to do the roughly 15.5 mile point-to-point option starting from Sand Flats Road. It was a long, epic ride, with many miles that couldn’t possibly be condensed into a short video, so I put together a quick edit with some of the footage captured on Porcupine Rim Singletrack. What a fun ride. [Via: Jared Anderton on Vimeo]

Nahr al-Bared Refugee Camp, located in northern Lebanon, is home to over 31,000 Palestinian refugees who are denied access to their homeland and neighboring nations. In 2007, fighting erupted between militants taking refuge in the camp and the Lebanese army. Hundreds of people were killed, including over 50 civilians. The conflict also resulted in the destruction of civilian homes and property, further displacement, and the loss of livelihoods. Mercy Corps in cooperation with Al Najdeh Association, a local aid organization, and the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) is implementing Cash for Work programs in the refugee camp to give people the opportunity to work and earn money to provide for their families.

I found this post on our friends Jay Perry's facebook page...Climbing legend Peter Croft mentors boulderer Lisa Rands on the finer points of alpine free climbing during an ascent of Venturi Effect, Croft's spectacular route on The Incredible Hulk, in California's Sierra Nevada.

May is National Bike Month with one of the highlights being next week's Bike to Work Week - May 16 to 20

A project to build the biggest solar production facility in the world

Earth day is this Friday, April 22nd and yourLUME is excited to celebrate. So what better way to celebrate than to thank our friends -- working to keep our open spaces accessible for all to enjoy.

Earth Day is next week. So as you're trying to figure out how you can help out, add Kink's Earth Day Concert to your list. You'll be helping out our friends at The Freshwater Trust while rocking out to some great music.

Bolivia to establish law to give nature human rights.

Underwater sculptures bring a new depth to diving.

It warms our hearts, or makes us want to wag our tail, depending on whom exactly you speak to at yourLUME. The two year old dog, named Ban, rescued from the roof of a house floating off of Japan’s northeast coast looked very happy to be reunited with her owner this past Monday.

We are excited to welcome Nathan to the team as our first Traveling Journalist. With a unique approach to seeing the world, Nathan brings a well-traveled view of what so many over-look and experience. Check out Nathan’s Proulx’s bio below, we can’t wait to hear about and for him to begin sharing his adventure stories. I am 23, have traveled, worked and lived in 46 countries. I currently live in Queenstown New Zealand. I arrived a few weeks ago from South America and recently took a job working as a mountaineering guide, showing people the beauty of climbing. If there’s one thing I could never get sick of, it’s the smiles you get when you bring someone to the summit, and they revel in their hard work and never before seen sights.

After 10 exciting weeks of submissions, and two nail-bitting weeks of voting, a winner has been announced in the Chaco Waves for Change Art Contest. And the grand prize winner, whose artwork received the most votes is… Nastassja Pace!

Support a good cause - Vote today to send Surfrider's Portland Chapter Chair Nastassja Pace to study the South Pacific Gyre and document marine plastic debris.

yourLUME is excited to welcome Mountainsmith and it great heritage of products to the brand. Mountainsmith was born in 1978 in the Front Range of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Their products include high-level performance backpacks, lumbar packs, travel storage, camera bags and luggage. Mountainsmith’s exquisitely beautiful and physically challenging landscape has been the workshop, playground and testing facility for the company since its creation.

Check out yourLUME's latest Outdoor Newsletter | New Apparel from EarthTEC | shareLUME - Nevada Outdoor School + Montana Outdoor Science School

An amazing look inside some glacial caves from around the world.

Check out yourLUME's latest Outdoor Newsletter | New Adventures: Idaho, Alta, Seoul | New Gear: Mountainsmith, Kelty, Sierra Designs

A brief glimpse at urban exploration

Check out yourLUME's latest Newsletter | Plant Some Green

Backcountry Film Festival - Tonight (Thursday, Feb 24) in Spokane, WA is canceled but still on for tomorrow (Friday, Feb 25) in Red Lodge, MT and Haines, AK.

My first time disc golfing on the beautiful Mary Moore Searight Park in Austin